In non-COVID times, Artpace's Chalk It Up fundraiser turns downtown San Antonio into a vibrantly colored wonderland of temporary murals, surrounded by a big party that celebrates art, charity, and community.
This year, with everyone's health and safety in mind, Chalk It Up: Community is happening, well, wherever it can.
Right now, school and community teams from all over the city are creating murals at a location of their choice, submitting photos and statements to be reviewed for Chalk It Up Day on October 10.
That's when co-chairs Katie Pace Halleran and Cristina Peña Walls — along with honorary chair Councilman Roberto Treviño — will choose 17 finalists from across every school district within the San Antonio city limits. The finalists and a winner will be announced at noon on October 10, with each receiving gift cards courtesy of H-E-B.
In addition, 20 featured artists are turning sidewalks and pavements at 10 San Antonio Pubic Library branches into brightly colored works of art, all capturing the 2020 theme of community. Drive-through viewing is available at most libraries, but appropriate social distancing guides will be in place if you're visiting on foot/
You can also get in on the fun from the safety and comfort of your own home or neighborhood, with #ChalkItUpAtHome prompts on social media to guide your creations. Artistes are encouraged to share their masterpieces on social media by tagging @artpace, #ChalkItUpAtHome, #ArtpaceAtHome, and #MakeArtHappen.
You can learn more about this year's Chalk It Up here, as well as read about the featured artists, get more info on #ChalkItUpAtHome, and map out where to view the library murals.
With 12 Oscar nominations in the past 12 years in multiple categories, Bradley Cooper has turned into not only an acclaimed actor, but also a touted filmmaker. Given that pedigree, it might be difficult to remember that he first gained recognition as a comedy star in movies like Wedding Crashers, Yes Man, and The Hangover series. For his latest directorial effort, he has married comedy with drama in Is This Thing On?.
Unlike the previous two films he directed, Cooper only has a supporting role, ceding the lead to Will Arnett. Arnett plays Alex Novak, who, as the film begins, is starting the process of divorce from his wife of 20 years, Tess (Laura Dern). Forced to move to a depressing apartment in New York City and only getting limited time with his two kids, Alex finds the unexpected outlet of stand up comedy when he signs up for open mic night at the famous Comedy Cellar.
The film follows Alex as he continues to pursue comedy while still having to see Tess on a regular basis, thanks to a shared custody agreement and get-togethers with friends like Balls & Christine (Cooper and Andra Day) and Stephen & Geoffrey (real life couple Sean Hayes and Scott Icenogle). While the comedy serves as a form of counseling for Alex, truly moving on proves more difficult than expected.
The film, co-written by Cooper with Arnett and Mark Chappell, is loosely based on the real-life story of British comedian John Bishop, so one of the biggest things they needed to get right was the comedy itself. Alex’s marital situation lends his comedy more of a confessional style than actual jokes, and his evolution in that space is done well. Shooting in the actual Comedy Cellar and populating the club with real comedians like Amy Sedaris, Jordan Jensen, Reggie Conquest, and more gives those scenes an extra dose of realism.
As if to underscore the personal and emotional nature of the story, Cooper and cinematographer Matthew Libatique make liberal use of closeups with handheld cameras. The camera is constantly moving around and often seems to be right in the actors’ faces, something that is most noticeable when Alex is performing. As if the stories Alex was telling weren’t intimate enough, having Arnett's entire face fill the frame forces the audience to pay attention to what his character is saying.
If there is something to knock about the film, it’s a lack of dramatic stakes. While there’s natural tension between Alex and Tess due to the divorce, it’s way less than in a movie like, say, Marriage Story. There’s also a sneaking suspicion that Cooper was just looking to have fun with the film, casting himself as the comic sidekick and working with good friends like Arnett and Hayes. If ever there was a good hang divorce movie, this is it.
Arnett rarely gets to be in movies, much less as the lead, but he ably embodies this somewhat dramatic part. It helps that he’s given a great scene partner like Dern, who knows when to dial her acting up or down for a particular situation. Cooper and Day are also good despite their story being slightly superfluous, and Christine Ebersole and Ciarán Hinds as Alex’s parents lend the film some extra gravitas.
Is This Thing On? is a much different type of film from Cooper’s first two directorial efforts, A Star is Born and Maestro, and it’s nice to see the filmmaker offer something new. It has a relatable story for anyone who has ever been married while offering an element of uniqueness with someone discovering an undiscovered skill late in life.
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Is This Thing On? opens wide in theaters on January 9.
